15 tested positive on May 27 sent home without waiting for test report
Deputy Commissioner ordered inquiry into the Blunder
Hamirpur, May 28 (QNN)
The administrative failure to manage people under institutional quarantine place the district under high risk for spread of corona virus today. Significantly, the district administration sent 43 persons, who had arrived from Mumbai, from institutional quarantine centre at Bhoranj to their homes before their corona virus test reports were received on Wednesday. Fifteen out of these 43 were later tested positive for the deadly corona virus infection on Wednesday night.
The moment the report was received late last night, the administration went into a tizzy to bring back these 15 people to the Covid Care Centres from their homes. It was between 10 pm to 3 am in the morning that the infected, 11 men and four women, were brought back in a haste to the CCC. 14 of them were sent to CCC at NIT here and one was to CCC Bhota. Majority of the people belonged to Barsar and Bhoranj subdivisions of the district. The sources revealed that these 43 persons including 15 positive were sent home in buses altogether and were in close contact with one another. Since they were told to be corona virus negative hence they met not only family members at their homes but neighbours and relatives also came to meet them.
It was learnt that these 43 persons sent home to make space in the quarantine centre to accommodate next batch of people coming from outside the state. Surprisingly, the infected people were sent back to their villages despite their being highly vulnerable after returning from COVID-hotspot Mumbai. Deputy Commissioner Harikesh Meena had ordered inquiry of the incident. It was pertinent that not even a single movement was allowed from the quarantine centres without prior permission of the deputy commissioner in the district.
The affected villages
Those who were tested positive yesterday in the district included 35 year old male from village Bijhri, 55 year old male from village Baloh, 65 year old male from village Jani Jaggiyan, 33 year old male from village Baroti, 60 year old male from village Amned, 27 year old male from village Farsi, 54 year old female from village Amned, 50 year old male from village Paplol, 30 year old male from village Gahliyan, 52 year old male from village Samkari, 24 year old female from village Farsi, 27 year old female from village Baroti, 51 year old male from village Amned, 51 year old male from village Marhot Kaswar and 20 year old female from village Baloh.
The highest number of coronavirus cases in Himachal-93- have been reported from Hamirpur district, which currently has 84 active cases, eight cured and one died.
“The mistake happened due to a miscommunication and I have sought a report in this regard,” said Harikesh Meena, Deputy Commissioner, Hamirpur. He said that the decision to declare villages as containment zones would be taken after reports were received from the respective SDM’s.
Fear Loomed in society
The panic loomed in entire district as the news of corona virus positive people sent home spread in the district. People from across the district from all sections of society were calling media persons to know the update on the incident. Even persons already sent home from the quarantine centres were in fear and were afraid of possible infection.
Though the administration had brought back 15 persons who were tested positive but the status of other 28 persons who traveled with them back to their homes was yet to be informed. The fifteen positive persons were from nine villages of the district while 28 other persons who travelled with them was expected to be about twelve. This way about two villages were under risk after this mismanagement had occurred.
(OVER)